


Unbroken Bond

by Dazeventura6



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, M/M, alpha!Bond, omega!Q
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-16 07:49:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17545619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazeventura6/pseuds/Dazeventura6
Summary: Vesper left James a broken husk of a man, who can help him pick up the pieces and move on?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [springbok7](https://archiveofourown.org/users/springbok7/gifts).



> Inspired by Sleeping Q by springbok7.

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/11605764@N03/46152586044/in/album-72157689814211804/)

**Prologue**

It had been a completely shit day on top of a completely shit week and it didn’t look like it would get better anytime soon.

The mission in Istanbul had gone tits up ensuring that Q had to work 48hrs straight to get the agent in question out of there alive. Which meant that Bond hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise when he visited before R had rushed him out again. Then Alec had called wanting a distraction since Eve had kicked him out in one of her mood swings.

And then came the phone call that had brought them here. Here being medical where Bond could do nothing but watch helplessly as one of his best friends paced and cursed as another fought for her life and the life of their baby.

Alec and Eve had finally gotten together after a particularly bad mission had led to some celebratory sex that just kept repeating until they stopped kidding themselves and finally admitted their feelings for each other. The admission had come at an opportune time since not two weeks later Eve fainted in the middle of a meeting and a quick check-up in medical had confirmed that she was pregnant.

After the initial panic, both of them had been ecstatic, terrified of screwing up somehow but thrilled at the possibility of a new life that was a mixture of the two of them. James and Q had watched all this from a safe distance, safely out of the line of fire, only occasionally providing their respective best friends a sympathetic ear and determinedly refusing to take sides.

And now it looked like all the happiness he had seen in his friend’s eyes would be forever lost in the space of a few hours if he lost the woman he loved and their child. James fervently hoped that they could save them because he wasn’t sure he would ever get his best friend back if he lost them and James could understand perfectly what he was going through. Hadn’t he been right there what felt like a million years ago now? Just as he was getting lost in his musings Alec turned to him.

“How is this fair? How is it right that everything I’ve ever wanted is right within my grasp and now it’s looking further away every minute that passes. I can’t lose her. Can’t lose them, either of them. Not now. Not now that we finally found each other.” Alec ranted as he paced.

“How?” H asked turning to James.

James knew where this was leading but he was reluctant to dredge over the past. The past especially his past was much better off buried and buried deep so it couldn’t hurt the living.

“How, what?” James asked softly.

“How did you survive when Vesper died?” Alec prodded, too lost in his own pain to notice the instinctive flinch on his friend’s features.

“I pushed everything down deep and allowed vengeance to rule me for a while, and when that was done, I buried myself in work. There is something incredibly cathartic about destroying scumbags.” James answered shrugging, mildly surprised that the memories didn’t seem to hurt as much as he had thought they would.

“But then Eve isn’t Vesper and she didn’t betray you.” Unsurprisingly the bitterness hadn’t dimmed one bit since the day he had first figured that out, “And there is no one to make pay for this, Alec. She tripped on the sodding carpet from a dizzy spell for fuck’s sake. Nobody’s fault, not even Eve’s. You have to admit that she has been taking it easy lately not stressing and even M has been very careful around her.” James continued pushing away the memories again.

Alec snorted amused despite himself at the memory of how very careful everyone had been around Eve lately. Her mood swings had been frankly terrifying. And this combined with the fact that she was usually armed to the teeth made everyone from their usually implacable boss, M, to the lowliest of employees wary around Eve. Only Q was immune to her moods and seemed to cruise through them unharmed. Alec wished he understood how the other man did it.

“She’ll be fine, won’t she? I mean this is Eve we’re talking about. Right?” Alec asked looking pleadingly into his best friends’ eyes.

“I’m sure everything will be fine Alec. They have the best obstetric surgeons working on her now. And she got to medical within minutes of the fall, so I’m sure everything will be fine.” James said placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezing gently.     

“Tell the truth James, knowing what you do now would you go back and change things? Or would you do it all over again even knowing the pain and betrayal?” Alec asked eyes wild still.

James could see that his friend was desperate for something to divert him from his helplessness and pain so he decided to forgive him this determined unearthing of his own skeletons.

“If I could go back and save Vesper, I would still probably not be able to save the baby. She miscarried before she made the deal with White. I told you that, right?” James asked and when his friend just shook his head in the negative he shrugged and continued, “There was no reason for it, just something wrong with the way it formed I guess, at least that’s what they told me after the autopsy. Spontaneous abortion, natural causes. She was too much of a coward to tell me she’d lost the baby, like I would have cared, then. I was too blindly in love with her to hate her for something that wasn’t even her fault. And we would never have lasted, I don’t think. She betrayed me too thoroughly for us to work in the long run. So, no, I don’t think I would change anything. What I have now is worth a whole lot more than anything that could have been with Vesper.” James finished settling in the chair next to Alec and leaning his shoulder companionably against his friends’.

James was surprised by how much he meant what he said. What he had now was infinitely better than anything he might have been able to build with the woman who had betrayed him so thoroughly. As he sat next to Alec and waited for news about Eve he found himself getting lost in the memories of the past.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	2. Vengeance

**Vengeance**

James held Vesper’s soaking wet body in his arms as he allowed the grief to consume him.  _ How, how could she have done this to him? Killed not only herself but their baby as well. _ They had thought they had been so happy for a few weeks there, after his escape from Le Chiffre and so thrilled when they found out about the baby.

The alpha in him crowing in delight that he had managed to father a child after the horrific torture he had just undergone at Le Chiffre’s hands which had a possibility of rendering him sterile. Vesper hadn’t been an omega, she would never be his, the way an omega could be. They would never share a mating bond but that hadn’t mattered to James, he had loved her and thought that she loved him and that had been enough for him.

_ How could Vesper have done this to them? How could she have stolen the money and betrayed him like this? Killed possibly the only child he would ever have as well? How? _ He just didn’t understand how the woman he loved so blindly could do this to him. James held her rapidly cooling body in his arms and asked his questions of the universe and received no answers. By the time they had convinced him to let her go he just felt hollow and cold inside, as though the place that had once held all his hope and love had been hollowed out and left only cold emptiness inside.

James barely felt the cold from the canal water through his soaked clothes or the blanket the rescue workers wrapped around him. By the time he reached MI6 and M, he was stone cold and completely closed off from everyone. Even the news that Vesper had apparently lost the baby before she had stolen the money and made the deal to save his life didn’t penetrate his stone exterior. He had long since buried everything but anger and hatred and anger and no longer felt the sting of her betrayal.

Every new fact he discovered about Vesper from the kidnapped lover she had hidden from him to the fact that she apparently hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him that she had lost their baby, if it had even been his, simply didn’t penetrate the thick walls he had built around his heart.

He couldn’t afford to lose his focus like he had with Vesper anymore. After all, the only thing he had left was his job, he would do whatever it took to complete his mission. There was no omega, no wife or child or family in either his past present or future and that was just the way he liked it. Love was a weakness he would no longer allow into his life.

Bond focused his considerable talents on finding and eliminating everything to do with White and Quantum. And if it afforded him a smidge of personal satisfaction to have completely avenged the woman he had loved then nobody needed to be the wiser.

James took great pleasure in hunting down and eliminating every single Quantum agent he could find and MI6 was most appreciative even if M did continue to reproach him for his scorched earth policy of blowing things up in his wake. Bond didn’t allow these reprimands to affect him and continued the way he had been since M never tried too hard to stop him. He figured if she really wanted him to stop she would have found a way to make him.

Once every last Quantum agent was eliminated Bond settled into his life as a double-0 chasing criminals and eliminating targets as M told him to. If he felt nothing while he did it that was nobody’s business but his own. He never felt a thing while he stalked and killed men and women, innocent or not mattered little to him.

He believed that M had a good reason for wanting them dead, but the reasons mattered not one whit to him. He felt nothing as he seduced and slept with both targets and their partners. In fact, the only time he might feel something besides the emptiness in his heart was on the rare occasions when Alec and he would be in the same place at the same time and they would grab a few drinks and catch up with each other’s lives.

Even Alec couldn’t penetrate the cold walls around his heart but it was always a bit of a relief to be around someone he trusted like he trusted few others.

Missions came and went and life went on. James could slowly feel himself disappearing into 007 and he barely even noticed what was missing in his life anymore. He knew he would do this job until a bullet with his name on it ended his life or he was forcibly retired by M. He knew he would much prefer the bullet to the ignominy and boredom of retirement.

All that ended with a bang and a bullet not from the gun of some enemy, but a friend, someone he worked with and trusted in so far as he trusted anyone these days. Moneypenny’s bullet not only knocked him off the train into the river but cracked some of the hard surface around his heart and Bond felt the pain of betrayal all over again.

Betrayed again by a woman, this time the woman he trusted above all, his boss, M. When he woke up in hospital he snuck away before they could ask him any questions, not that it was the kind of place where they would ask too many, but still, it was the principle of the thing. He spent a few months licking his wounds on a beach, drinking and fucking everything that moved, but it didn’t seem to help. This time there was no definite target he could aim his vengeance at.

He stayed until he saw MI6 being blown up on the news.

And then he came back. Somebody had attacked his home, he couldn’t tolerate that. He wouldn’t. And now he had a very good target for his rage. He limped back home to M and she took him back, however; grudgingly.

Meeting the new Q was a shock, one he never quite got over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	3. Mix-ups and Misunderstandings part 1

**Mix-ups and Misunderstandings(part1)**

The new Quartermaster was young, so young and so beautiful. All angles and sharp points, so sharp that sometimes Bond feared he would cut himself on them. One whiff and James knew the man was an omega. A very rare male omega and he was impressed. It was not often that omega’s managed to rise so high in the bureaucracy. He was doubly impressed when the alpha in him couldn’t resist pushing a little and Q not only pushed back, he put Bond firmly in his place.

Working with Q was as easy as breathing. They seemed to have no trouble anticipating each other’s moves. Even losing M and what was left of Skyfall was made slightly easier by the trust Q had in him and the way he stayed around to make sure James didn’t slip into depression.

James had been so sure that there was something special between him and Q and then he had happened to be in Q branch when Q was running one of the other double-0s and saw the same partly fond partly exasperated expression on Q’s face as he usually saw directed at him as Q talked 009 through his mission sniping and bantering back and forth as he went. James was surprised at how much this hurt.

After that he watched as each and every one of the double-0s visited Q branch either before or after their mission, most came in bearing gifts of some kind in thanks for getting them out of tight spaces. He was surprised at how easily Q handled the agents, alphas every one of them.

When he asked around the blond spy was surprised to find out that Q had been running most of the other agents for years when Q had been R. In fact, James and Alec were the only ones who hadn’t had any contact with the boffin before, probably since they had been the old Q’s favourites and he had insisted on running them himself.

The more James watched, the more he was intrigued by this man who seemed to run Q branch with an iron control while still allowing his minions their creativity. And James flirted, he flirted over the coms and in person and while Q rolled his eyes at the agent he didn’t try very hard to dissuade the blonde spy.

Missions came and missions went and these days more often than not when James was stuck in country due to some injury or another he dragged himself to Q branch where Q would fuss and complain and finally allow him to rest on the sofa in his office while he worked nearby. The boffin always made sure the spy was eating right and taking his medications when he spent the day with him and it warmed James’ heart.

He never felt safer or more cared for than when Q fussed over him as he pretended to grouse about it. He knew he probably wasn’t fooling the boffin but he had his pride. It wouldn’t do to let the man know exactly how much his care and attention touched James.

~*~

A year to the day after M’s funeral, he would never think of Mallory as M, it was always her who was M, a pen drive was delivered to him at his home.

Bond was intrigued. What had the old bitch had in mind, trying to pull strings even from the grave. He watched the video and started looking into the men she talked about. The process was slow since he was no Q. It hurt that he wasn’t able to trust the boffin with this, not least because the research would go much faster if Q did it.

It was slow going trying to find a place and time to pin his target down and Bond developed a healthy respect for the boffins in Q branch who made this seem effortless. Meanwhile, he still went on missions and tried and failed to flirt with Q much to Moneypenny’s amusement.

Bond had honestly given up hope of getting anywhere with the enigmatic boffin until Q came to him with his request.

There had been a mix-up with a batch of the suppressants in medical and Q along with some of the other unbonded omegas in MI6 would have to undergo their heat in the next few days. And since the heat had been suppressed for who knows how long it would be a bad one and unsafe to undergo alone. Most of the other omegas had someone in their immediate family and friends they could call on to help them through this process but it seemed Q had no partner alpha or otherwise to help him.

“You’ve heard about the mix-up with the suppressants?” Q asked bluntly as soon as Bond seated himself.

Bond who had been hoping for a mission briefing froze and stared at Q in surprise for a few seconds before he managed to recover his nonchalance.

“Yes,” James answered refusing to elaborate. He was unwilling to get his hopes up and he needed Q to spell it out for him so there were no misunderstandings.

“Would you be willing to help me through my heat. Since I’ve never actually gone through a heat since my first the doctors recommend it be with an alpha and since you are the only alpha in town that I think I can trust I’m asking you.” Q said fidgeting a little and when Bond still didn't reply he prodded, “So? Will you help me?” he asked.

“Let me get this straight. You want me to help you through your first heat in years? You do realize that it will involve us having sex right?” Bond couldn’t help asking.

“Right, sorry I asked. I should have known. Nevermind 007, forget I asked. Thank you for coming by so promptly.” Q said rising from his seat behind his desk and walking past James to open the door.

“No.” Bond said grabbing his hand as he moved past him, “I didn’t mean I wouldn’t do it, Q. Just making sure we both understand all the implications here.” Bond said holding the boffin's wrist loosely in his hand.

“Yes, 007 I am aware we would be having sex. Think of it as a mission if it will help. Except in this case you will not be stealing any tech or information unless you want me to send you out into the field with a toothpick.” Q tried to joke rubbing tiredly at his forehead as he closed his eyes and sighed.

Bond wanted desperately to pull the man towards him and comfort him, hold him safely in his arms but the best he could do was try to joke back.

“Can it be a titanium toothpick, Q?” He smirked, “Sure I’ll do it. Would you like to come to my place or would you be more comfortable in your own space?” He asked sobering quickly.

“My place if you don’t mind, Bond.” Q said smiling gratefully at the agent, “I’ll text you the details. If you could come by tomorrow morning I should have everything ready for us to spend the next two days undisturbed.” He said as James got up and walked towards the door recognising dismissal in those words.

Bond nodded and walked out of Q branch unsure if he should be happy that he would finally get his wish and sleep with the quartermaster or if he should be worried that the other man considers it at best a favour for a friend and at worst a chore.

He finally decided that he would do it, it didn’t matter why Q had asked  him.

~*~


	4. Mix-ups and Misunderstandings part 2

**Mishaps and Misunderstandings (part2)**

Q was pacing, feeling hot and itchy beneath his skin. The heat was hitting him hard and he knew that this was just the beginning. He wondered if it had been a mistake to ask Bond. Any of the other double-0s would have been willing to help him as well and he knew he had feelings for the blond spy already, so maybe this was a mistake. Who knew what he would do and say during the worst of his heat. 007 had a reputation for flirting with anything that moved and not meaning it, gossip spoke of a woman who had betrayed Bond and then died to protect him.

Q wouldn’t blame him if he had hardened his heart after something like that. So Q had ignored the flirting and the stalking but he found it impossible to ignore the man himself. Bond was a gorgeous specimen of a male, of an alpha. He was also deceptively smart and unexpectedly kind, so despite his blatant disregard for the rules and Q’s tech Q couldn’t help being attracted to him.

So Q paced and fretted until he heard the knock on his door. He lunged towards it practically tearing it off its hinges in his haste, without even bothering to check his monitor for who it was. He could smell an alpha and that was all his heat-addled mind cared about. Seeing Bond standing there he grabbed him by the front of his sweater and tugged him into the apartment slamming the door shut behind them.

“Hey, hey…calm down. Q, come on, I’m here. I’ll take care of you, hmm?”Bond said pulling Q into his arms and running his hands soothingly up and down the boffin’s spine.

Q merely whimpered and tried to get closer to the agent. Desperately pushing at Bond’s clothes so he could get to skin. He felt like he was burning up and only the Alpha’s touch on his skin would help. He nuzzled the edge of Bond’s jaw and inhaled deeply filling himself with the soothing scent of the alpha.

“Hush now my little omega. I’ll take care of you. Come now, where’s the bedroom?” Bond said taking Q’s hand in his and leading him in the direction Q indicated with a sharp nod. It was the most control he could manage in that moment.

The scent of Q was beginning to get to Bond and he could only imagine how much worse it would get as the heat really took hold of them. He really hoped that they didn’t end up doing something like accidentally bonding which could destroy the precarious friendship and working relationship.

As soon as they got to the bedroom Q began tearing off his own clothes and after debating it with himself for a minute Bond merely shrugged and started taking his clothes not bothering where they landed. He figured it would be easier to soothe the omega if he had skin-to-skin contact.

As soon as they were both naked Q launched himself at Bond and wrapped his arms and legs around the alpha trusting him to support both their weights, which the agent did until he stumbled and fell landing both of them on the bed with the breath knocked out of them.

Q gasped and then used their new position to grind his erection into Bond’s making him moan. And just like that Bond stopped trying to slow Q down. He decided that Q might be more amenable to listening if he took the edge off.

Q had been fine until he smelled alpha, until he smelled Bond. Now that he had he couldn’t wait. He needed, he just needed the alpha, so damn much. With a growl of frustration he flipped them over till he was on top and without any further ado rose up and took James’ entire hard length inside his sopping wet hole.

When Q let out a cry that was part pleasure and part pain from the lack of any kind of preparation other than his natural lubrication James reached out to run his hands along the omega’s spine soothing him. He couldn’t help a gasp of pleasure at being inside the other man’s tight heat as he tried to sooth the smaller man.

“Y-you are insane, you know that right?” Bond gasped as he grabbed Q’s hips and held him in place when he tried to move.

Q let out a whimper of pain when and frustration.

“Hush, hush now my little omega. I’ll take you and fuck you and knot you until you forget everything else in the world but me. I’ll make you feel so good that you forget your own name. Would you like that Q?” Bond asked his voice a seductive purr even as he ran his hands soothingly up and down Q’s back and rained kisses over the soft skin of Q’s neck and shoulders.

Q whimpered with need and nodded fervently and Bond continued to talk in his soft seductive voice even as he started slowly moving his hips to test if Q was ready.

“Oh yes. Yes…please. Oh please.” Q moaned as he began to move faster and faster straining towards his climax, a climax that felt like it had been hours in the making rather than minutes.

It wasn’t long before Bond felt his knot swell and he nudged at Q’s hole and with one hard thrust pushed it in. With shallow thrusts that nudged against Q’s prostate, it wasn't long before Q was coming hard between them and the feel of Q’s muscles clenching around him pushed Bond over the edge.

They lay together for a few minutes catching their breath with Bond running his hands all over all that smooth unblemished skin he could reach lazily, enjoying the hedonistic pleasure of being comfortably knotted inside and omega who he found extremely attractive.

“You are gorgeous my little omega. So beautiful, so perfect for me. So hot and tight around my knot. I could fuck you all day.” James sighed as he pressed kisses to that lovely skin that smelled so beautifully of aroused omega and something that was quintessentially Q.

Q had been lying pliantly in Bond’s arms allowing the older man to do as he wished as he wrestled with the fact that he had just practically attacked Bond and had sex with him. Listening to the alpha’s words though made his heat hormones rear their head again and with small moans and whimpers, he started grinding himself down onto James’ cock which was still knotted inside him even as his own cock filled.

“You are so hot for me aren’t you, little omega. I love it that you want me so much. So perfect. So lovely. And all mine for the next two days.” Bond murmured even as he began to make shallow thrusts, much slower than before, trying to draw out the pleasure for both of them. Mentally he added that he wished Q would stay his forever but he wasn’t sure that would be welcomed so he didn’t voice the sentiment.

“You’re so quiet, my Q. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so quiet.” Bond said softly continuing his thrusts to the sound of Q’s moans, ”Won't you say something? I love the sound of your voice you know? So smooth, so posh, keeping me sane during the toughest missions.” He continued.

“W-wh-what would you have me say, James?” Q managed to gasp between moans.

“S-say my n-name. Say my name as I make y-you come.” James gasped speeding up his pace, “I love it when you call me James.” He added.

There were no more words for a few minutes as both men found their bliss in each other, except for Q’s cry of ‘James’ as he crested the peak.

They lay snuggled together for a while worn out from their exertions until James slipped out of Q. Then James rolled them so he could get up. He grabbed one of the bottles of water Q had thought to stock next to the bed and handed one to Q and they both guzzled down some water as Q awkwardly tried to think of something to say. Bond sensed the boffin’s discomfort and decided to distract him from it. He could distract Q with sex for the whole two days, couldn’t he? They would talk about the rest of the world after that.

“Bathroom?” He asked and when Q pointed it out he went in and got cleaned up bringing a warm wet cloth to clean up the omega as well.

Bond walked into the bedroom and gently grabbed Q’s ankles and pulled him towards him. Q made no protest as the alpha gently and carefully cleaned up all the spunk that had dripped down his legs and around his still sloppy hole.

Bond couldn’t help himself as he got close enough to get a whiff of that delicious omega scent where it was strongest and he leaned forward and swiped his tongue over that slightly gaping hole lapping up the omega’s natural lubrication.

He tossed the cloth over his shoulder in the direction of the laundry basket and continued licking up the omega’s juices slowly teasing at the rim before thrusting inside and dipping in to taste the mixture of his and Q’s essences.

Q moaned and pushed down towards that questing tongue, “Oh…oh, please. James….please..more.” he groaned and James felt his cock rise and fill all over again.

James moved from tonguing at Q’s hole to licking at the tip of his cock, dipping his tongue in to get a different flavour of this man, this omega who so enchanted him.

James moaned at the taste of his quartermaster before taking his whole cock into his mouth and sucking hard. When Q arched and moaned he pulled off with a pop and pulled the Quartermaster towards him burying his fingers in dark curls and kissed him hard, thrusting his tongue between the other man’s lips and giving him a taste of his own essence.

“Please oh please, James. N-need you.” Q gasped pushing into James’ hand as he stroked Q’s cock.

James couldn’t believe how much he wanted, no,  _ needed _ the young omega under him as he lined up and sheathed himself fully within the omega’s tight heat.

“God Q, could you be any more perfect for me. So hot, so beautiful.” Bond murmured as he began to thrust into the omega feeling his knot swell again. He knew that they would be doing this again and again over the next couple of days and the thought couldn’t please him more, even if he knew that he would be feeling every one of his years when they were done.

~*~

They collapsed and fell asleep curled up together with Bond still knotted inside Q when they had reached they were spent. Bond only partially woke up when his knot released and he only moved to make Q more comfortable, unwilling to let the boffin out of his arms even for a moment.

When they woke up properly they managed to snack on some protein bars before going at each other again, Q’s heat reaching its peak as they came together again and again with increasing desperation.

They managed another break to re-fill on fluids and high-energy bars in the middle of their frenzy before the heat finally began to ebb and they fell asleep together again.

Both men were exhausted from two days of almost constant sex but Bond still managed to wake up when his long ignored phone chirped letting him know he had a hit on the location of the man M had wanted him to kill.

Groaning he carefully extracted himself from the bed without waking Q and managed to locate his phone amongst the discarded clothing on the floor. When he saw that he would need to be in Mexico within 24 hours he sighed and with one last fond glance at the boffin, he began to dress.

When he was dressed and armed as usual he pressed a tender kiss to the younger man’s dark curls and Q mumbled unintelligibly moving into the touch.

“I wish I could stay.” Bond whispered, “I’m sure I’ll see you when I get back. Take care, Q” he said as he walked out the door.

Q slept on undisturbed until the pressure in his bladder woke him up. Sighing and groaning from the aches and pains in his well-used body he smiled slightly and rolled to look for James but only found cold sheets next to him. The boffin was disappointed, he had thought that what they had done had meant something to Bond as well but clearly not. After a moment he decided that maybe he was jumping to conclusions and Bond had merely been called in for a mission so he pulled his phone out of the nightstand and checked it. Not finding any missions with 007 on the roster his heart fell all over again.

Disheartened and angry at himself for getting his hopes up he went about showering and dressing as usual. He cooked a huge breakfast for himself as he was starving and when he had finished that along with his tea he dragged himself into MI6 and prepared himself to face Bond and his usual smirks and banter while pretending that he hadn’t had his heart broken.

~*~*~*~*~*~


	5. Return Of The Prodigal

**Return Of The Prodigal**

When Bond came back from Mexico he was still partially in mission mode and the dressing down from M went as well as expected. Q being his usual calm, professional self as though nothing had happened between them, felt like a blow to his heart and for a second it knocked all the breath out of him, but he pushed on. He would not lose the boffin’s friendship or his quartermaster’s professional care over feelings that clearly weren’t returned. So James pretended he was fine and flirted and cajoled Q into letting him get lost for 24 hrs.

The next time Q saw Bond, he was so completely focussed on Madeline Swann and his mission, he didn’t even notice hope rise in Q’s expression only to fall again when Bond explained that he needed the information on the ring.

Too focused on Spectre and Madeline to notice anything about Q, but that was fine, Q kept telling himself. All through the mission, even when Bond came back to London with Madeline tagging along, Q just gritted his teeth and carried on like the professional he was. Nobody would have even a single hint that he was hurting from Bond’s callous treatment.

When James finally swept into Q branch, using the Aston, as an excuse to get one last look at Q, the Boffin was so deep in denial that he barely felt a thing watching James leave with the woman, he had known for barely any time at all. He was happy for 007 after all, everyone deserved to have a happy ending,  Q reasoned.

A few weeks later, he wasn’t feeling so charitably towards Bond. He was still getting dizzy spells and throwing up. At first, he had thought it was leftover of the minor concussion, he had gotten on the way to disable nine-eyes, but three weeks was too long. There had to be something else going on. Eve and R finally conspired to drag him into medical for some tests, which led to his current predicament of his head stuck in a toilet bowl, as he threw up his lunch after hearing the results of the tests.

He was pregnant.

And the only person who could possibly be the father was Bond. Not that he would be telling anybody that particular fact. Eve and R were sympathetic and more than willing to help out. Both women, however, kept poking and prodding at him to give up the name of the other father, but Q wouldn’t budge. He refused to tell Bond, the bastard, that he was having his kid after he left to get his happily ever after.

So the months went by, with morning sickness – more like all day sickness – aches and pains, gas, indigestions and all the wonders of pregnancy. Where they could his minions and R covered for him until finally around the four-month mark his nausea seemed to abate and he felt his former energy creeping back.

The relief of finally getting his energy back helped negate the fact that he was putting on weight and could barely get his pants to button. After a few days of his complaining Eve dragged him out shopping and he ended up with several sets of maternity trousers and warm comfortable sweaters and shirts. It took several hours but finally, Eve was satisfied that he would have plenty of clothes to keep him comfortable for the next few months. Q pouted but he couldn’t help admire the not-so-tiny bump that showed to advantage in his new clothes.

He was starting to feel tiny flutters and kicks and had gotten really attached to the squirmy little thing growing inside him. Despite his original doubts, he loved the baby that was a part of him and a part of Bond. After some initial panic, he was even delighted to find out that he was having a little girl.

As the months passed with no news from Bond, Q gave up on ever hearing from him again. He stubbornly refused to reactivate the nano- trackers and check on the man. He still hadn’t told Moneypenny anything about the other father, other than, he had picked him up at a club and didn’t wish to contact him and involve him in his baby’s life.

So far, she had respected his wishes, but he wasn’t sure how much longer it would last and he was certain that if anyone found out that Bond was the father then, Eve would be dragging the former spy into Q-branch by his ear to take care of his responsibilities and he didn’t want to be anybody’s responsibility. If Bond had wanted him and the baby he would have stuck around.

Then when he was eight months pregnant and feeling as big as a house James Bond strolled into Q-branch like he had never left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	6. Reckoning

**Reckoning**

Bond didn’t expect things to be smooth when he came back after leaving like he had but he was surprised by the downright frosty reception from Moneypenny. If Eve was frosty the reception he got from Q branch was downright arctic.

He had left because he couldn’t bear to work with Q anymore and pretend that he didn’t feel more for the man and he had needed the break after everything Blofeld had put him through but he had returned because try as he might it wasn’t Madeline he saw when he pictured his life but Q, his snarky, extremely professional quartermaster. And besides he missed the work, it was the only thing he knew how to do. He recognized that he might be too old for his double-0 title but he felt he could still contribute.

So Bond had contacted Tanner and M and now two weeks later here he was as the new double-0 training and strategy consultant. He knew Alec would get a kick out of the title and probably a good laugh. But he didn’t understand the chilly reception from Eve or R and the minions. Q himself was nowhere to be seen.

Every time Bond went down to Q branch for something he was treated with the utmost professionalism but the old camaraderie was missing and Q was missing as well. Every time he asked after the boffin he was told the other man was in his office and not to be disturbed. Upon careful inquiry, he found out that the quartermaster wasn’t feeling quite himself these days and wished he could do something about it.

When he cornered Eve and apologised for leaving she thawed slightly but warned him to stay away from Q as he wasn’t feeling well. More worried than ever Bond decided to stake out Q branch and wait for Q to leave so he could see for himself that there was nothing seriously wrong with his Q.

One by one all the minions left except those who were running active missions and Bond watched until Q himself stepped out of his office where he had been ensconced the whole day.

Seeing Q for the first time in months it hit Bond all over again how much he had missed the man and it took a while for the changes in the boffin’s appearance to register. When it did Q was nearly at Bond’s hiding place.

“Q?” Bond near whispered shocked at the obviously pregnant appearance of his quartermaster.

“Bond.” Q acknowledged with a nod and continued on his way refusing to give the man an opportunity to question him. He was exhausted and really just wanted to put his feet up at home. His back had been aching off an on the whole day and he needed his bed and maybe a massage. He didn’t have time for Bond and his questions.

“Q, please.” Bond said grabbing Q’s arm as he walked past. His grip was gentle yet unrelenting, careful not to unbalance the very pregnant man yet not allowing him to leave.

Q sighed, “What do you want now, Bond? If there’s something you want from Q branch come back in the morning and someone will get it for you. I don’t have time for chit chat right now.” He snapped rubbing tiredly at his back with his free hand.

“I-is it mine?” Bond stuttered unsure if he even had the right to ask the question.

“No! It is mine. Happy now?” Q snarled and yanked his arm out of Bond’s hold nearly unbalancing himself in the process.

“Q, please. Is the baby mine?” Bond pleaded taking a step towards the pregnant omega.

“No, you don’t get to do this to me. You piss off to god only knows where for months together and then come back and try to claim  _ my _ kid” Q said practically growling in anger at the uncertain agent.

Bond was taken aback by Q’s anger and he didn’t know what to say but before either of them could do anything more there was a sudden rush of fluid down Q’s legs.

“Oh, oh crap. Dammit Bond.” Q cursed and turned around and started walking in the direction of medical.

“What? What’s going on? What did I do now?”

“I’m in labour, that’s what. That was my water breaking. And she’s 4 weeks early.”

“Where are you going then?” Bond asked his voice rising in pitch to his dismay.

“To medical” ‘ _ you idiot _ ’ was unsaid but clearly implied.

“L-let me carry you or something?” Bond started as he followed Q into the lift.

Q merely spared Bond a look that said he was mentally deficient and continued on his way. Within minutes Q was in a bed in medical and being seen to by one of the best ob/gyn surgeons in London for male omegas while Bond paced in the waiting room.

A few minutes later Eve rushed in and spotting Bond rushed him and pinned him to the wall her knife pressed into his carotid.

“What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. I swear. At least I don’t think I did.” Bond said.

Noting his slightly dazed look Eve eased up a little and spun around to find someone who could give her some news. When she had spoken to the nurses bustling in and out of Q’s room she returned.

“Just answer me this. Are you the other father?” She asked as she settled in the chair opposite Bond.

“He wouldn’t say. But I could be.” Bond answered tentatively.

“Dammit Bond. How could you have sex with him and then just fuck off with someone else like that? Don’t you care about him at all?” Eve snapped getting up and pacing towards him.

“I think I fucking love the man. I knew I had feelings for him but after I helped him through the heat he went back to being the same professional Q as always so I figured he wasn’t interested.” Bond shrugged.

“Oh, oh you bloody idiot. Sodding idiots the both of you, I swear. When this is done you are both going to sit down and talk this out like adults. I’m going to make sure of it if it’s the last thing I do. For the sake of your daughter if nothing else.” Eve sighed sitting down again.

“I-I’m having a daughter?” Bond asked voice tremulous. Eve was sure he would be embarrassed by this later but now it didn’t even register as she nodded and Bond smiled like he had been handed the moon.

The smile died quickly though.

“Wait Q said she was early. Will she? Will they be alright?” Bond asked staring intently at Eve.

“Yes, she’s early but not too much and labour seems to be progressing well so they should both be fine,” Eve answered smiling a little.

Bond sagged a little in relief.

“I should…I should get her a present, shouldn’t I? And for Q as well? Maybe then he’ll talk to me?” Bond asked uncertainly. He was floundering having no clue what to do in the situation.

“Yeah, you can go shop. It should be a while yet and they won’t let anyone in there right now. I’ll call you if something changes.” Eve answered and Bond nodded quickly and sped out of the room. He came right back in a few seconds.

“Umm, I have no idea what to get them. Either of them. Normally I’d get Q some tea but is he even allowed to drink tea now?” Bond asked practically wringing his hands in worry.

“Good point. Don’t bring him tea, it’s a bit of a sore point right now. The doctors had restricted his tea quota to one cup a day and I don’t know what it will be like now. Why don’t you wait here and I’ll ask.” Eve said getting up and heading towards the desk but Bond stopped her.

“Nevermind. I’ll just ask later. It feels wrong to leave right now anyway. I’ll stay.” He said sitting down in one of the hard metal chairs in the waiting room.

Eve shrugged and smiled reassuringly at him and sat next to him. The peace didn’t last long before Bond was up and pacing unable to sit still and Eve could see that there was nothing short of tasing the man that would get him to sit still so she let it be.

Two hours later they heard the cry of a baby and shortly after that the doctor came out and told them that both the bearer and baby were in perfect health and would probably be able to go home in a few days.

James sighed in relief and collapsed into the chair even as Eve grinned at him and dragged him out of it. Pulling and tugging she got a slightly reluctant Bond to enter the room. Bond wasn’t sure if his presence would upset Q and he really didn’t want to upset the father of his baby right now.

“Hey, Q, up for some visitors right now?” Eve asked cheerfully as she dragged Bond in her wake.

“Sure come in,” Q answered his attention on the tiny baby wrapped in a pink blanket in his arms.

“Look at her, my Mirabelle. Isn't she perfect?” He cooed still staring at his daughter’s tiny perfection.

Q looked up and noticed Bond for the first time. He grimaced slightly.

“Fine. If you really want to be a part of her life she can be Mirabelle Bond.” Q sighed noting the wide grin that brought to James’ face, “It’s not like I can give her my name. It’s been redacted so many times I’ve forgotten it myself.” He said smiling slightly. The sight of his daughter seemed to have softened the boffin a little towards Bond.

“Thank you Q. I’d like that.” Bond said still smiling widely. He wasn’t sure if he could ever stop smiling. He was so happy, “Is there anything, in particular, I can get for either you or Mirabelle?” he asked softly stepping closer to get a closer look at his daughter.

The baby seemed to have a small tuft of blonde hair but her scrunched up features resembled Q more than Bond. Eve was cooing over how cute she was and managed to persuade Q to allow her to hold the baby.

“She’s beautiful,” James said sitting down in the chair beside Eve and looking at the baby.

“Do you want to hold her?” Q asked.

“Sure, but I don’t know how. I don’t want to hurt her.” Bond replied.

“You’ll be fine. Here, let me show you.” Eve said and helped Bond hold his daughter for the first time.

~*~

Over the next few days, Bond made many trips to medical bearing gifts of all kinds for both Q and Mirabelle. He fetched and carried and watched the baby while Q slept and it was beginning to get on Q’s nerves a little. He wasn’t sure if Bond was just pretending his solicitousness or if he really meant it. Clearly, the man was completely smitten with his daughter but how did he really feel about Q. 

It all came to a head when Bond brought Q and Mirabelle home and settled the little one in her crib in the nursery Q had set up for her. When both parents were satisfied that she was fine and sleeping peacefully they walked into the living room.

“Can I get you something, Q? Why don't you sit down and relax for a while and let me take care of things?” Bond asked moving through the kitchen like he had lived there all his life.

It was the last straw as far as Q was concerned. He gaped at the spy for a minute before his mouth snapped shut and he sat down on the sofa, back to the annoying spy in the next room. 

“Q?” Bond questioned coming back towards the boffin.

“What the hell are you playing at, Bond? You don't have to wait on me hand and foot and pretend to care. I've already said that I would let you be in Belle's life. I'm not going to keep her from you in any way.” Q finally snapped at the blond spy.

“I'm not pretending anything Q. I really do care about you, both of you.” Bond answered softly as he tried to hide his hurt.

“Fine you care. You care for her I can see that. Blind martians from space can see that but don't pretend to care about me, Bond. Just don't.”

James was surprised by how much that statement hurt. The man he loved didn't believe that he even cared forget any other feelings he might have. He supposed it was karma for all the times he had pretended attraction just to get to a target, but it still hurt. He sighed and gathered his courage. He would take this chance and tell Q the whole truth and try to convince him of it. He owed it to his little girl and himself to at least try.

“Q, I've always cared about you. The only reason I agreed to help you through your heat was because I thought it would be the only time I would get to touch you like that.” Bond said grabbing Q's hands in his and refusing to let go.

“Don't give me that. If I meant so much to you then why the hell did you leave in the middle of the night without even a note? Do you have any idea what it felt like to wake up without….I mean alone after what we had. What I thought we had, anyway?” Q asked still trying to free his hands but Bond twined their fingers together and held on.

“I'm sorry.  I screwed up, I know that. I got the notification that Sciarra would be in Mexico and I didn't know what to say in a note. It's not like I have any experience with a relationship. Please Q. When I came back you were so cold to me I figured you didn't care. That's why I left with Madeleine. I figured she at least seemed to care. But I couldn't love her, not when I'm in love with you. Just-just give me a chance.  Please. I'll prove it to you.” Bond said a little desperately. 

“D-don't lie about this, Bond. If I find you're lying about this you'll be buried so deep nobody will find your body”. Q said tremulously beginning to give in.

Sensing his surrender James freed one hand to touch the boffin's cheek and gently stroke that pale skin. Q moved into the touch a little. 

“I promise I'm not lying. I do love you, my Q. So damn much.” James said leaning in to kiss the boffin.

“If you ever leave us again I will hunt you down and take your bollocks for earrings for Eve. You hear me?” Q said pushing away a little. 

“If I ever hurt either of you like that again then I promise to let you.” Bond said pressing closer again.l, “And call me James. I love the way you say my name.” he finished as he pressed a chaste kiss to a blushing Q's cheek.

“James. My James?” Q asked as Bond pressed kisses over his face and neck and he melted into the blind spy's embrace. 

“Yours.” Bond agreed, “I love you, Q.” 

“I love you too, James.” Q answered softly as he buried his hands in the short blond hair at the back of Bond's head and pulled the spy into a passionate kiss, exploring every sensation and taste that he had nearly forgotten in the past months.

Bond sighed in relief and happiness as he gave as good as he got. He had never thought he would hear those words from the boffin and now he felt like his heart would burst from joy.

               ~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

As James walked into the house he noted how quiet it was. Everyone was probably asleep as he would be soon. He was exhausted from trying to hold his friend and himself together as they waited for news of Eve and the baby.

The past few years had been the happiest James had ever been in his life. Moving in with Q and Belle, mating and marrying Q a few months later with only Eve and Alec as witnesses, the birth of their second child, a boy they named Jason a  couple of years later were among the best memories James had and he was so thankful for these past years. When Eve and Alec slowly started circling each other after Alec quit the field and started training double-0's full-time had felt like coming full circle.  Then the baby had been the best news and James had been afraid that it was all crashing down on them today.

James walked into the bedroom and stared at his sleeping husband as he undressed and got ready for bed. That lovely expanse of perfect, soft pale skin that James could never resist beckoned him closer and James slipped into bed next to the boffin pulling him closer and pressing a kiss to the soft skin at the back of his neck.

“Mmmmm. Everything alright?” Q murmured as he snuggled closer.

“Yes they managed to stop the contractions and both Eve and the baby are fine for now. They've put her on bedrest, in medical since they clearly can't trust her to stay off her feet if they let her go home.” Bond answered smiling slightly against his husband's skin.

“Mmmm clearly.” Q agreed turning around in James's arms and smiling sleepily up at him, “Poor Alec. His odds of surviving this pregnancy just went down. I should put together a care package to keep Eve occupied if we want him to survive.” Q said as he nuzzled into the junction between Bond's shoulder and neck.

“Yes you should. We wouldn't want to lose our best babysitters like that.” Bond answered pulling the boffin even closer, “Speaking of which, I'm surprised you're even still awake right now.” Bond asked softly. 

“You can thank those little horrors you and I call kids for that. They just wouldn't settle tonight.  I just barely managed to get them to sleep.”

“Mmmm yes I should.  Thank them, I mean. If it gets me sleepy cuddly boffin then i should really thank them” James said as he pressed a kiss to the top of Q's head.

“Awww, who knew James Bond was capable of being so sweet.” Q said smiling up at James before he leaned on and kissed the man, “ Unfortunately I'm too tired to reward such sweetness the way it deserves to be rewarded. So sleep now, and if we wake up early enough I'll reward you in the morning.” Q finished as he pulled out of the kiss.

“Yes. Sleep now, reward later.” Bond agreed and they settled in to sleep. 

                 ~*~ The End ~*~


End file.
